Curried Squash and Apple Soup

Okay, we ready Dan

So in case y'all have not met this beautiful woman standing behind me

she is one of my dear, dear friends. This is Cheryl. You might have seen Cheryl on CherylStyle.com

She has a beautiful website. She's smart, talented, wonderful woman. She and her mother just wrote and created a cookbook

mother-daughter dishes. I hadn't seen anybody do it any better than my friend

Cheryl. And I'm so glad that Cheryl's in the kitchen here with me today

We talked about, oh, you're wonderful. We talked about what we wanted to make, and we said since it was

a crispness in the air, that we would make an apple, a curried

apple squash soup. I can't wait. That sounds yummy, doesn't it? I can't wait

So let's get started, baby. Okay. You got a squash, I got a squash

You got an apple, I got an apple. You got an onion, I got some garlic

So you start with the onion, and I'll start with the garlic

because this is going to go in our pot first. Okay. But you know what

Before we do that, why don't we go ahead and cut these squash and get them in the oven? You got it

I didn't think about that, because we're going to take our acorn squash

we're going to cut them in two, We're going to de-seed them. We're going to pop them in a 375-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes

We'll see if we can get through this squash. Yeah, listen, I think I was leading us wrong

And this is kind of like a rutabaga. Anytime I'm dealing with tough stuff, I call Michael in

Are you about through? Yep. Okay. I got it. Me too. I haven't got my stem

Woo! You're younger and stronger than me. That's not fair. I think I had a softer squash

No, I don't know. This one's harder than my artery system. Let me see if I can come in here one more time

Oh, there it is. Okay, I think I got it now. You got it? Ah, I got it. Yeah

So tell everybody, Cheryl, what made you decide to create this fabulous Cheryl's style

I just love the memories that were created around the table and in the kitchen with my mama cooking

and I just wanted to create that environment for my kids. And so Mother Daughter Dishes, the book

is taking my mom's classic recipes out of her head and actually getting them down on paper

so that I could share them with everybody. Because food comes from the mama most times

Most times it does. All right, so we're just going to salt and pepper this a little

We have brushed it with the olive oil. in with a little pepper Ooh I got that one good and peppered Michael will love that one I used to love it when I would come home and my mom would have something roasting in the oven

and this squash is going to smell so yummy. We're going to put a little bit of olive oil on the outside

Well, we can, a little bit. We're going to actually scoop that out

so that may just make that skin a little bit softer and easier to work with

So in the oven, girl. All righty. The butt shot's yours. And my skirt

Dan, you're on the wrong side, honey. You missed it. You missed it

Do you know what? OK, now we can start. I'm going back to my garlic

OK, now then. OK, I tell you what. I'll peel my apple. You start peeling the apples. OK

And I will get over here on the onion. I love the fact, I was very flattered

Cheryl asked me if I would write a blurb for her cookbook, Mother-Daughter Dishes

and so I had a chance, you know, to preview it, and I love the way that you've taken your mother's

some of your mother's very classic things, but you have adapted them to your lifestyle

And I think we all do that. And the way you're raising your children. Yeah, I know. I know Bobby does that with your recipes

He does it with mine. Yes, both of my children. Any of the recipes will be something new

I think these are classics. Yeah. And they are so yummy. Now, we're toasting off that garlic and those onions, y'all

Yum. And we're going to let that cook for five or so minutes. And I've got some curry powder here

You can add maybe up to a tablespoon, depending on how much curry you like

A little curry, to me, goes a long way. So we'll probably start, let's start with one teaspoon

Okay. And then we may add two. And so now we're adding the apples. In goes the apples

So these are honey crisps, so they're nice and sweet. Yes, yes

And so do we add the curry now? Well, let's toast off the apples just a second

And then we'll toast that curry in there. Do I have enough olive oil to suit you

For me? How about you? Oh, no. You need some butter. Well, you're the one doing the stirring, honey, so I want you to be happy

You know what, I have not hurt myself with this spoon yet. I just want you guys to know this

Did you say butter? Yeah, I did say butter. I was wondering where that was going to come in

Listen, I want you to want for nothing. Nothing. Okay, our onions are nice and soft

All right, so let's, ooh, that curry is strong. Wow. Kind of toast that around in there, Cheryl

and let's make the decision whether we want another one. Well, I'm not a big, big spice girl

I'm probably spiceless. You are Yeah I not like a spice girl no You like bland food I don like bland food but I don want the spices to overpower the sweet apples and the squash

OK. What do you think? So what is she telling me, y'all? That one teaspoon's enough

That's a lot of curry. Mm. So we're going to call up

We're going to call up. A happy medium. It called for three tablespoons

Cheryl wanted one. I wanted two, so we got two. Perfect. And that's why it's called the Paula Deen Network

Okay. All righty, so that's looking good. So what we're going to do now, Cheryl

is we've got to add our chicken stock. I'm just going to eyeball a cup of apple cider

Mmm, this smells good already. So what we're going to do is we're going to put the lid on that

We're going to let it cook for about an hour. Our squash is done

Well, actually, we're going to let that cook for about 20 minutes. Oh, 20 minutes

Then we're going to add our squash, and then we're going to let that cook. Got it. Yum

Look at the caramelization on the bottom. Yes. Listen, my mother used to cook acorn squash

and she would fill them full of butter and brown sugar and cinnamon and pineapple

Oh, pineapple. Oh, my goodness. And it would be just out of this world

You know, that vegetable would turn into almost like a dessert. Yeah

So the squash is already soft. So when these apples cook and get softer

then we're going to put our little magic blender in there and puree

A little emulsifier. Yep. And we're gonna make this just smooth as a baby's butt

When it came to helping me through some of my holiday meals

I would count on that lady right there. Ain't Peggy. Hey, Auntie

Cheryl, she's always got one eye on me. I don't care where she is

She's always got at least one eye on me. That's the best

But I remember my mother passed away on November the 9th, 1970

And in two and a half, three weeks, it was Thanksgiving. So I had to step up to the plate and cook Thanksgiving

Oh, yeah. Well, I spent two days on the phone calling my Aunt Pig

and I heard Uncle George yell, if you don't tell her to quit calling

I'm not gonna get my damn Thanksgiving meal. Because Aunt Peggy been the whole time on the phone coaching me through But I made it through and it was all edible I happy to say And over the years it just seemed to get better and better and better

All right, so we're going to take our little emulsifier thing right here

and what we're going to do is we're just going to pulse our soup

Look how delicious that does look. And Cheryl and I have a little tip for you that we want to share with you

When you're doing holiday meals, you're usually cooking for a crowd, and you really want to get things, you know, hot, keep them hot

Well, Cheryl and I placed our tray of bowls into our oven on warm

so that our bowls are nice and warm. so after you dip up those 25 bowls

the first bowl is still warm. So that's our crowd tip for today, Cheryl

I would like to dip you up some soup. Aunt Peggy! Yes

Would you like to come up here and join Cheryl and me? This is my mama, Cheryl

This is my mama. When my mama left, she left me with a beautiful replacement

Her sister. And I just love her. I just love this girl

And sometimes I'm overprotective. Just sometimes, not all the time. All right, y'all taste up

I do want to try it. All right, now, I put a little sour cream on it

You could always put... Some yogurt? Some yogurt. I think Cheryl looks like a yogurt girl

I know Bobby is a yogurt boy. Perfect. Yum. Mmm. Not too much turd

It's delicious. Uh-huh. It's delicious, isn't it? Uh-huh. See, I told you

This would be wonderful. I know at Thanksgiving, everybody always comes in before Thanksgiving Day

So this would be wonderful to have on the stove, Red. Yes, to do on Wednesday when your guests are coming in

And offer them a mug. Put it in a coffee mug so they can carry it around

And Cheryl and Aunt Peggy and me wish y'all best dishes and love

And y'all enjoy our curried apple squash soup. Hang around, because there's much, much more on the Paula Deen Network

Wonderful. I'm glad to hear those words